Death Progress Bar [Taekook] Running Away

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Taehyung was pacing nervously around the room. TaTa was so anxious that it began to gnaw on its metaphorical nails.

TaTa

<Maybe you should accept the inheritance after all> *Suggested*

Kim Taehyung

*Completely rejected its proposal* In the story, when the brothers learned ‘Taehyung’ inherited everything their hearts turned completely cold and they started their abuse! If I accepted it, the progress bar wouldn’t rise just by half a point!

Knock knock knock.

Both of them paused and looked at the door in unison.

Someone

Butler : Young master, the eldest young master is calling.

Kim Taehyung

*Brows furrowed and he whispered* The murderer no. 1 is on the phone, should I answer it or not?

TaTa

*Voice trembled* <Would it really make a difference?> With only 0.5 points left until filling up the progress bar, there really isn’t any room for error.

Kim Taehyung

*Hesitated* Will I die immediately after the progress bar is filled?

TaTa

Kim Taehyung

*Eyes brightened*

TaTa

*Sounded as if it was going to cry* <But you’ll lose control of your body and watch yourself go to your death as the story progresses.>

Kim Taehyung

[This is way scarier than immediate death!]

Taehyung felt he was about to go insane. He scanned the room, then approached the desk and pulled out the utility knife inserted in a penholder, ejecting the blade and drawing it across his wrist. Blood started to flow.

TaTa

*Instantly became mad* <Ah, ah, what are you doing!>

Kim Taehyung

I’m saving myself, of course. This phone call can’t be answered; if I pick it up and say the wrong thing, increasing my brother’s enmity, then everything will be over.

Conversely, in the face of imminent crisis, Taehyung calmed down instead. After cutting his wrist deeper, he quickly searched for all the documents and cash of the original. Then he picked up the cucumber pillow on the bed and went to the bathroom to fill the bathtub with water.

TaTa

*Greatly alarmed by his actions* <Why are turning the water on?> Cutting your wrist and filling the bath with hot water, isn’t this a standard suicide setup?

Taehyung has already got in the bathtub. Withstanding the dizziness caused by blood loss, he carefully unstitched the part of the cucumber pillow, putting all the documents and cash into it.

Kim Taehyung

*Lay back, holding the pillow and closing his eyes* It’s a retreat in order to advance, it will buy some time… This place is too dangerous to stay in, we have to find an opportunity to slip away.

The youngest of the five brothers in the family was nine years older than the original ‘Taehyung’. All of them have already made successful careers with the support of their mothers and they pretended to dote on ‘Taehyung’. Kim Junghyun was gradually deceived by this illusion, inadvertently allowing them to put a lot of traps and snares around Kim Junghyun and ‘Taehyung’. The current Taehyung was powerless and lacked connections, it was impossible for him to win; still, his top priority was simply saving his life. The water in the bathtub was soon red with blood. If TaTa was human, its face would be completely pale.

TaTa

*Quavering voice* <Tae, TaeTae…>

Kim Taehyung

Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. *Consoled*

Hearing the faint sound of the opening door, his heart loosened. After making TaTa promise to help him hold on to the cucumber pillow, he felt reassured and let go of his consciousness. The smell of disinfectant filled his nose. Taehyung opened his eyes and looked drowsily at a tall figure sitting beside the bed.

TaTa

Taehyung reassured himself, his arms tightening around the pillow. He looked at the man beside the bed

Kim Taehyung

*Weakly* Namjoon Hyung

The man turned his head. His long and narrow eyes, similar to those of Kim Junghyun’s, were full of disapproval and worry.

Kim Namjoon

*Gently* Taehyung-ah, why?

Kim Taehyung

[Kim Junghyun’s genes were very good; all of his sons were very handsome, with only the little 'fatty Taehyung' being the odd one out. Kim Namjoon was Kim Junghyun’s eldest son and he resembled their father strongly. Clear eyes under straight eyebrows, thin lips, straight nose—with his refined features and calm temperament, he was the very definition of a handsome mature man. In addition to 'Taehyung', he was the only child allowed to take the Kim Junghyun’s surname and also the brother who supposedly loved 'Taehyung' the most.]

Taehyung looked away from him, secretly pinched himself under the quilt to get a sour nose and red eyes

Kim Taehyung

*Whispered* I know that none of you likes me. *Looked away from Namjoon*

Kim Taehyung

*Secretly pinched himself under the quilt to get a sour nose and red eyes*

After those words, the air became tense. Namjoon did not speak, the gentleness in his eyes diminished slightly. His look became thoughtful and scrutinizing, as if trying to judge whether Taehyung’s feelings were feigned.

TaTa

<998 points! Wah, TaeTae!> *Screamed in panic*

Taehyung’s eyelashes trembled and the tears gathered in his eyes have flowed down. His lips tightening, he turned back to Namjoon

Kim Taehyung

Hyung… If, if there is a next life, then I hope I would become the older brother of all of you… Then I would be able to repay you, return everything I owe to you…

Kim Namjoon

Taehyung-ah *Pulled his hand out from Taehyung’s grip*

Kim Namjoon

*Put Taehyung’s hand back on the bed* Don’t talk nonsense, your elder brothers will always be your elder brothers.

TaTa

<998.5! It has risen again! Waah, TaeTae, don’t die!>

Kim Taehyung

[What an impregnable defense! This older brother is much more difficult to defeat than I expected.]

Taehyung knew things went south. He decisively abandoned the idea of softening Namjoon with words and closed his eyes pretending to be exhausted

Kim Taehyung

*Whispering* Hyung, I’m tired…

Fortunately, the progress bar did not rise again. Namjoon covered him with the blanket and left the ward. Over the next two days, Taehyung’s eldest brother came several times. The absent brothers also made a lot of calls. Taehyung remained completely silent, neither speaking nor answering the phone. He stayed in the ward all day and just looked out of the window like a puppet who had lost his soul.

During this time, Taehyung tried to hurt himself again, this time with a fruit knife. The nurse found out and told Namjoon about it. Namjoon, like a normal older brother, became worried and angry and scolded Taehyung harshly.

Kim Taehyung

*Pinched his thigh and cried*

Kim Namjoon

Taehyung-ah *Helpless*

Kim Namjoon

*Gently* Tell me, what is wrong with you? Look, you even lost some weight.

Namjoon looked at this smile and the emotions on his face suddenly faded away, leaving only expressionless, unfathomable mask. This was the first time Namjoon showed this expression to Taehyung. Taehyung stopped smiling, lowered his head and hugged the pillow tightly. His heart was full of vigilance—here it comes, Namjoon is going to tear off his mask of kindness.

Kim Taehyung

[Missing several meals was worth it.]

Kim Taehyung

*Managed to smile at him* [This was what I wanted to hear]

Kim Namjoon

Taehyung-ah, dad’s lawyer called me today and said that the inheritance had been divided up as you wished, into five parts, without your part. *Said abruptly, his tone vague, missing its earlier gentleness*

Taehyung looked up at him, and there was no smile on his face—he didn’t force it out this time.

Kim Taehyung

I told you, I would repay my brothers everything I owe them.

Kim Namjoon

*Looked at him keenly* The change in the distribution of inheritance requires your signature.

Kim Taehyung

*Nodded* I will sign it.

Silence fell once again. Namjoon did not say anything more, turned around and left the room. After dinner that day, Namjoon brought over several documents. Taehyung did not read them, he signed them directly and then gathered the blanket around himself. Namjoon gathered the documents, then stood beside the bed for a moment.

Kim Namjoon

Why?

Kim Taehyung

I just want to make my brothers happy. *Hugging his last trump card—the cucumber pillow*

Kim Namjoon

*Eyes swept over the blood that had dried up on its surface* Why do you hold it all the time?

Kim Taehyung

*Heart skipped a beat*

Kim Taehyung

*Pinched his thigh frantically, looking back at Namjoon with reddened eyes and saying in a barely audible voice* This is the last gift I have gotten from my brothers… I can’t lose it, if I lose it… it would be completely gone.

TaTa applauded hard in Taehyung’s brain, praising his quick thinking and acting skills. Namjoon apparently did not expect to hear such an answer. He stared at him for a few seconds and frowned, suddenly unable to look directly into those eyes full of trust and dependence. He turned his head slightly

Kim Namjoon

You should rest. Your second brother will arrive tomorrow, he has already boarded the plane.

Kim Taehyung

[That’s really a bad news.]

Taehyung was so dejected that he hung his head down, burying his face in the quilt. Namjoon took a step forward and hesitated. He turned back and gently touched Taehyung’s hair, the look in his eyes changing briefly. Then, for some unknown reason, his expression became cold. He turned around to leave.

TaTa

*Voice was a little weak* <I’ve felt like on a roller coaster just now, the progress bar first dropped to 900, then suddenly rose to 950, scared me to death.>

Kim Taehyung

It’s down to 950? *Surprised*

Kim Taehyung

*Pleased with himself* Now then, the problem of inheritance was resolved, so it’s time to run away.

TaTa

*Puzzled* <Run away? Why? You haven’t even met with your other brothers yet.>

Kim Taehyung

*Voice was placid* I only have a margin of error of 49 points. Do you think it would be enough if I say the wrong thing to those murderous people?

TaTa

*Unable to refute*

TaTa

*Heart was full of misgivings* <What if after discovering you ran away their killing intent skyrockets?>

Kim Taehyung

Don’t worry *Confident tone*

Kim Taehyung

*Checked the documents and cash in his pillow* In order to empty the progress bar, I have to reduce the lethal factors. Distance from the brothers should also be considered a lethal factor. What if I hide in a place where my brothers won’t be able to find me? Do you still think the progress bar will be filled up?

Of course, if they’re unable to find him, the five brothers will be unhappy, but even if they decide to kill their younger brother directly… If their target is missing, they won’t be able to either make anyy plans or start implementing them. Immediate danger was a key part of the lethal factors. As long as the progress bar wasn’t filling up and his brothers were far away, Taehyung would be able to slowly decide on his long-term course of action. It would be different from the current dangerous situation, where he had no freedom of action an could only adapt to circumstances.

TaTa

*Raised its thumb and squealed* <TaeTae is so smart, dumb blondes will love you!>

Kim Taehyung

…Shut up.

Kim Taehyung

*Imitating the handwriting of the original, he left a message*

“Without me, my brothers will be happier. TaeTae hopes the brothers will be happy.”

Then he asked TaTa to help him avoid the people in the hospital and holding the cucumber pillow, he silently slipped out during the night. More than a ten hours later, Taehyung stepped onto the soil of B City, China. He was still wearing hospital clothes, and he was still carrying the cucumber pillow in his arms. That and a little bit of money left over after buying a plane ticked were his only possessions.

Kim Taehyung

I hate rich people who have the habit of having credit cards instead of hard cash. *Face was full of tears, cursing the previous owner of his body.*

TaTa

*Suddenly panicked* <We are done for, your progress bar started its rollercoaster ride again—your brothers must have found out you disappeared. Waah, TaeTae, I’m scared!>

Taehyung’s ‘chrysanthemum’ tightened. He stared at the progress bar, which was going up and down crazily, with wide eyes. 980… 990… 930… 990… Progress bar fluctuated madly, finally stopping at 910. Taehyung let out a long sigh of relief and sat down on the ground outside the airport.

TaTa

<It seems that distance really is one of the lethal factors.> *Voice relaxed* <TaeTae, your life has been saved for the time being. What should we do next?>

Kim Taehyung

*Looked over his meager belongings, his expression full of vicissitudes of life* First, let’s find a job to support ourselves…

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Taehyung’s ‘chrysanthemum’ tightened – I just had to leave it in ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).